he Inca Empire arose in 1,100 A.C., after the Chavín culture (Ancash) and the Wari culture (Ayacucho).

These man-made works to provide water to the city have followed a process, since it was founded until 1955, which was divided in three stages:

The conqueror Francisco Pizarro founded Lima with the name of Ciudad de los Reyes, on the left side of the Rimac River . He complied with the order of his Emperor Carlos I of Spain, who had established the following condition for the foundation of cities in the Indias: “If the city is built on a fluvial shore, it must be found in a position so that when the sun arises, it would shed its light on the town first and later on the water”.

Until 1522 Lima 's inhabitants drank water directly from the Rimac river shores. It wasn't until January 15 th , 1552 that the city council tried for the first time to start doing works in order to bring clean water from the springs of La Atarjea.

During the government of the Viceroy Diego López de Zúñiga y Velazco, Count of Nieva, it was resolved to use the springs of La Atarjea and the first works started with an investment of 20 thousand pesos. The first aqueduct was built from the springs of La Atarjea in 1563, to supply the pile of the Plaza Mayor and some convents with water. The Sisa's contribution was created in order to built this aqueduct.

Twenty six years later, a Sunday, during the Government of the Viceroy Francisco de Toledo, was inaugurated the arrival of water to the pile of the Plaza Mayor, it was December 21 st , 1578 . There were harquebus fires, music of trumpets and hornpipes, and bullfighting displayed on the same public square.

(Extract from the book “Historia del Abastecimiento de Agua Potable de Lima” 1535-1996)

On December 21 st 1578 , the water arrived for the first time in the pile of the Plaza Mayor. It was since then that the water from the springs of La Atarjea started to be used. The population of Lima obtained their water supplies from the pile by means of washbasins.

The first government of Ramón Castilla improved considerably the water supply service. In 1855, a group of Peruvian entrepreneurs, with the help of the President Castilla, established a business entity. This entity replaced Lima 's clay pipes with cast iron pipes.

Later, this business entity became Empresa de Agua Potable (Drinking Water Company), this company administered the service until 1913. That same year was created the Consejo Superior de Agua Potable de Lima (Drinking Water Control Council of Lima). In 1918, this institution started to built La Menacho reservoir, with the application of alumina to the water and the extension of the water system.

The Board of Drinking Water of Lima was established in 1920, during the government of Augusto B. Leguía. That same year the Municipality of Lima handed over the administration of the water supply service to The Foundation Company, passing on later to the Department of Public Works of the Ministry of Development.

The Superintendency of Drinking Water of Lima was established in 1930, as an agency of the Ministry of Development and Public Works. The first Filtration plant was built during the government of Manuel A. Odría, which was put into operation on July 28 th 1956 .

Manuel Prado Ugarteche established Lima 's Sanitation Corporation (COSAL) on June 08 th 1962 , and the relations between the Corporation and the Government were canalized through the Ministry of Development and Public Works and the Ministry of Commerce and Treasury.

Seven years later, on March 21 st 1969 , the government of Juan Velazco Alvarado restructured the COSAL and Lima 's Sanitation Company (ESAL) was established as a decentralized government agency from the Ministry of Public Housing.

With the resumption of democracy, President Feranando Belaúnde Terry established the National Service of Drinking Water and Sewerage (SENAPA), modifying the structure and function of ESAL, and establishing Lima 's Drinking Water and Sewerage Service (SEDAPAL) as a subsidiary enterprise of SENAPA.

In 1992, during the first government of Alberto Fujimori, SEDAPAL started to be a dependant of the Ministry of Presidency as a state-owned company, governed by private law, with a technical, administrative, economic and financial autonomy.

In the last two years, SEDAPAL carried out important works that improved the water supply service for all the inhabitants of Lima and El Callao: it was built the Intake N°2, the second stage of the Treatment Plant N°2, the regulating reservoir N°2, twelve desanders, the Artificial Surcharge of Rimac river's water bearing and the new treated water reservoir with a capacity of 52 thousand cubic meters.

There were also carried out other works in order to improve the water supply service in Lima : Marca III, the use of Chillón rivers' Surface and Subsurface water, the installation of ten big matrix systems to improve the water supply service.

Our progress has its origin in history.

Even though SEDAPAL was established on June 12 th 1981 , we celebrate our anniversary on June 08 th 1962 , the day COSAL was established, that is to say, the day when the first state-owned company of sanitation with administrative and financial autonomy was established.